1 Mile Down....9999 More To Go

Reflections

2005-05-25T16:25:00.000-04:00

By The Numbers...

Total days: 128
Total miles: 17094.7
Total states traveled: 31 + District of Columbia...New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania
Oil changes: 4
Speeding tickets: 1
Accidents: 0
Visitors: 4...Shawn, mom, Jen, and Madeleine
People visited: 24...Jen, Shawn, Lesley + Deran, The Phillips (Barry, Therese, Zchary and Charlotte), The Lentz (Aunt Sandy, Uncle Steve, Katherine and Michael), The Goldsteins (Lisa, Sam and Noah), Ian + Marita, The Elstons (Uncle Rog, Aunt Tana, Polly), The Minters (Judi, John, Maya and Dede)
Lesson learned: countless

Some final thoughts:

This is a truly beautiful country. If you ever get the opportunity to see it all go for it. You will be amazed at the similarities and differences that exists within our country. I think I have a better understanding of what it means to be American. Every state and every city in this country has a history and a story. When given the opportunity residents want to do nothing more than tell their story.

There are so many amazing people in this country. I’ve definitely learned to relax more when meeting new people. I’ve learned that more often than not people can be trusted. I made a lot of new friends on this trip that I will hopefully continue to keep in touch with.

While the core of who I am is still the same but I have learned so much about myself. I am more comfortable with who I am. I am more confident. I mean if I can make it 5 months on the road by myself, what can’t I do?

There are so many places that I visited that I absolutely have to go back to and places that I didn’t get to see that I absolutely want to visit. This of course means that at some point I’m going to have to get over my fear of flying. I’ll get there.

Before I left on my trip various people had some predictions. My grandmother decided that I would meet the man of my dreams while my mother was convinced that I would find the place that I want live. Well grandma wasn’t right but mom was. One of the most important things that I learned on this trip was that I want to be where my family and friends are.

So my trip is over and it’s time for me to enter the real world. Time to get a job and find a place to live. But first things first…time to talk to and see everyone that I have missed so much the past 5 months.

What A Long Strange Trip It’s Been

2005-05-24T16:23:00.000-04:00

Day #128
Tripometer: 17094.7
Mile #17000: Tannerville, Pennsylvania

I’m home!! The drive home was so long. My drive today was a relatively short one, only 4 hours but it felt like so much longer. Something I’ve noticed on my trip is that the long drives are harder than the short ones. On the shorter drives I tend to count miles and exits. My mom, dad and I all got home within a few minutes of each other which was really, really nice. I got a quick tour of the house so that I could see al of the work they had done since I left. It looks great. We had lunch and caught up on a little. It’s a little strange being home but mostly it’s really wonderful. I'm so greatful to have had the opportunity to go on such a journey. In a lot of ways I still can't believe I did it. Even more though, I can't believe it's over.

Rock And Roll Dude!

2005-05-23T16:17:00.000-04:00

Day #127
Tripometer: 16832.6 miles

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a wonderful place. They do an exceptional job looking at the history of rock music and have an incredible display of music memorabilia. Which I guess is good considering that’s what the museum is supposed to have to whatever. I was a little disappointed with the gift shop however. They of course had many items with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame logo on it but there’s so much more they could have done. I then made my way to one last baseball game (that is until I get home and get to root for my Yankees). This time I went to Jacobs Field and saw the Indians play the Twins. Good game. I can’t wait to get to a game where I actually care about the outcome.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

Guitars

A Day Of New Experiences

2005-05-22T16:09:00.000-04:00

Day #126
Tripometer: 16603.6 miles
Mile #16500: Toledo, Ohio

There’s not really much in Detroit but cars and baseball. Since I don’t know so much about cars I decided to check out the baseball. I went to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers. Unfortunately it started to rain. Now they must grow them kind of fragile in Detroit because it wasn’t what I would raining. It was more dripping. But since it wasn’t my decision the Major League Baseball people decided to wait until the rain stopped. So I sat and waited. Now the wonderful thing about this game was that I was experiencing something new. For the first time in my life I was sitting the very last row of a stadium. I was sitting next to this very large family having themselves a wonderful time. I was incorporated into their family reunion. It was a great way to kill over 3 hours until the game started. Once the game began I thought I would try to make my way closer to the field where I had another new experience. This time I sat in the very first row of the stadium and watched a pretty good game. Ex-Yankee Javier Vasquez pitched a complete game 5-hit shutout. What was George thinking giving up on him so quickly? Anyway, the game lasted just over 2 hours, yup that’s shorter than the rain delay.

Comerica Park

Rain Delay

Front Row Seats

Farewell Chicago…I’ll Definitely Be Back

2005-05-21T16:07:00.000-04:00

Day # 125
Tripometer: 16382.1 miles

Today I left Chicago (sad face). It was great to see Maya and her sister Dede and I’m so glad I only have to wait a month before I get to see them again. Chicago is a fabulous city. I’m definitely going to have to come back. Hopefully Maya and her family will let me come visit them again. Unfortunately I didn’t get to Wrigley Field to see a Cubs game. That will have to wait until the next visit. On my way to Detroit (where I am now) I drove a little out of the way and drove down Lakeshore Drive, down the coast of Lake Michigan. It was a beautiful day and therefore a wonderful drive.

Checking Out The Neighborhoods

2005-05-20T00:10:00.000-04:00

Day #124

This morning I walked around Oak Park. Frank Lloyd Wright lived in the area and designed a lot of houses in the neighborhood. I bought a map and went on a walking tour of the area. This afternoon Maya's mother took me on a driving tour of some of the various neighborhoods in Chicago. It's interesting how similar major cities are but at the same time how very different they are.

Frank Lloyd Wright Houses

Downtown Chicago

2005-05-19T20:51:00.000-04:00

Day #123

Today I took the Green Line into downtown Chicago and went to the Art Institute. What an awesome museum. There was such a variety of exhibits. I was really impressed. It is one of the best art museums I've ever been to. It's so big but not overwhelming. After the museum I went to Millenium Park to walk around a little. It was a very foggy day. I looked up one minute and couldn't see the tops of the buildings. The next minute I looked up and couldn't see all of the buildings. I went to the Chicago Cultural Center which is located in the old Chicago library. The inside of the building is absolutely beautiful. The entire lobby and upstairs is this incredible mosaic. There was also this really awesome photography exhibit done by a guy who went on a road trip from NY to Reno in the 60's. Of course I loved it.

Art Institute

Paperweights

Paintings

Look Familiar Mom?

Millenium Park

Ballpark #7

2005-05-18T20:40:00.000-04:00

Day #122
Tripometer: 16046.6 miles
Mile #16000: Chicago, Illinois

Comisky Park...oh wait, everything has a corporate sponsor now US Cellular Field is not that impressive. While the White Sox are the best team in baseball right now they have a pretty dull ballpark and little fan support. After the game I went to Oak Park, a suburb just outside of Chicago where I will be staying for the next couple of days with Maya and her family. Tonight we went to a book reading by Maya's cousin's (Zayd for all those who know him) wife. She lived in China for a bunch of years and worked as a soap opera actress and wrote about her experience. The book is called Foreign Babes in Beijing. I recommend it. I haven't read it but I definitely plan to.

US Cellular Field

If You Build It I Will Come

2005-05-17T19:48:00.000-04:00

Day #121
Tripometer: 15992.8 miles

I figured since I was in Wisconsin I should find something to do. I guess I should have done something cheese-related but I decided against that in order to go to the World Circus Museum. I am so glad I chose the circus over cheese. It's so disappointing that such a fabulous museum is in Wisconsin. It means that I probably won't ever get to it again but that's okay. The museum told the story of the Ringling Brothers and their rise to the top of the circus world. There was also a building that housed a lot of the old circus wagons. They were really beautiful. They also had statues of circus freaks which were quite amusing. The grounds were set up like a little circus...there was a place to get your face painted, pony and elephant rides and a petting zoo. It would be a really great place to bring kids if you ever find yourself in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

After Wisconsin I had to make the trip to Dyersville, Iowa to check out where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. It was awesome. I love every minute of it. I was a little sad that corn wasn't in season but that's okay. It's a little weird though because the infield and right field are owned by one family and left and center field are owned by someone else. That means that there are 2 welcome and info centers and 2 souvenir stands. A little ridiculous.

Circus Wagons

Circus Freaks

Field Of Dreams

View From Center Field

Crazy Big Mall

2005-05-16T19:55:00.000-04:00

Day #120
Tripometer: 15663.5 miles
Mile #15500: Baldwin, Wisconsin

I loved this place. A fact not everyone knows about me...I LOVE MALLS!! Granted I have to be in the mood for them but basically I think they're wonderful. I also love amusement parks and movies so any place that can put all three of these under one roof has to be fabulous. When I got to the mall the parking lot was big and scary. The sections of the various lots were not just lettered or numbered the were labled as different states so I decided to park in the NY section so that I would be sure to remember where my car was. Now I must have had an obscene image in my head because when I walked into the mall I was not completely overwhelmed by the size of it. The layout of the mall was really well done. There are 4 floors and the little amusement park, Camp Snoopy, is in the middle. It seemed like all of the children's stores were located in one wing of the mall. I thought this was really smart for a number of reasons. If you're a parent at the mall with your children you can either choose to only go to that part of the mall or choose to avoid it completely. The mall also had this very cool Lego Imagination Area where you can of course buy lego products but you can also sit and play with Legos for a while. On the 4th floor was a movie theater, a couple of arcades and some restaurants, but everywhere else there were stores, stores and more stores. Oh yeah...there was even a wedding chapel in the mall.

Mall of America

Camp Snoopy

Lego Imagination Area

Chapel of Love

A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush

2005-05-15T19:45:00.000-04:00

Day #119
Tripometer: 15425.9 miles

What are two birds in the car worth? Nothing...they're dead. On my way to Minneapolis two birds just flew into the front of my car. It was really sad. I'm not sure why they were flying so low and why they didn't get out of the way but there was nothing I could do about it. It scared me a lot. They made kind of a loud noise.

On to the ballgame. I went to the Twins game today. I've don't like games in a dome. I know that the field is comparable in size to all of the other major league fields but it felt and looked A LOT smaller. It was definitely a strange environment to see a game. Maybe it would have been better if there were actually some people at the game.

Metrodome

3 States...1 Day

2005-05-14T19:19:00.000-04:00

Day #118
Tripometer: 15299.3 miles
Mile #15000: Brandt, South Dakota
Oil Change #4

First I went to Sertoma Butterfly House in South Dakota. It was ok but not as cool as Butterfly World in Florida. Next stop, Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota. This was very cool. I met and talked to a Lakota Indian who was carving a peace pipe. He was really interesting to talk to. I walked around a little outside and checked out the quarry where Native Americans still go to find pipestone. It was very small and a little out of the way but totally worth going to. Last stop, Fargo, North Dakota to the Roger Maris Museum. It was very small but very interesting. There was a 45 minute video on his entire major league career. I really liked that they looked at him as a whole player and not just him during the 1961 season when he broke Babe Ruth's homerun record.

Sertoma Butterfly House

Pipestone National Monument

Pipestone

Oracle

Lakota Indian Friend

Badlands National Park

2005-05-13T18:52:00.000-04:00

Day #117
Tripometer:14923.5 miles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARA K-L!!!

Talk about a windy day. I tried to hike around the Badlands today but for I while it was too difficult to open my car door. After a few tries I finally got the door open and walked around a little. After almost falling over I decided that I had had enough and got back in the car. The Badlands are beautiful...at least what I could see from my car. If you find yourself in the South Dakota area I highly reccomend them.

After the Badlands I headed further east (I'm getting closer to home) to the Corn Palace. Sounds weird doesn't it? Well it was. This building is covered with corn. Each year the town redesigns and then redocorates the outside of the building. The inside of the building has more about the history of the buildings and photos of the past. It is also a big auditorium and is used for concerts, proms, graduations and other such thing. There were a few things about the building that I didn't understand. The main thing was that it takes the town almost 5 months to completely redecorate the building. Why would you take on such a ridiculously large project just to enjoy it for 7 months and then start all over again?!? I guess so that you can be the town to say that you have the one and only corn palace.

Badlands

Corn Palace

What Goes Around Comes Around

2005-05-12T21:05:00.000-04:00

Day #116
Tripometer: 14506.3 miles
Mile # 14500: Rapis City, South Dakota

HAPPY BIRTHDAY YOGI BERRA!!!

In the beginning of my trip I was teasing some people back home about the weather I was having. Now you can all make fun of me. This morning I woke up and had to dig my car out from under 6 inches of snow. The weird thing was that I was doing this under the sun in 60 degree weather. I don’t get it. I’m just glad it’s sunny.

My first stop was Crazy Horse, a monument developed to celebrate the Native Americans who live/lived in the area and find the Black Hills to be sacred. This is an awesome work in progress. When it is complete it will be the largest statue ever created, bigger than the Washington Monument or the Great Pyramids. The area has a great video that takes you through the process so far. There is also a great Native American art exhibit. As of now the face of Crazy Horse is complete and the head of the horse has been outlined on the side of the mountain. I hope that it will be completed sometime in my lifetime. It would be really cool to be able to come back and see the finished product.

Next stop, Mt. Rushmore. One of the best things I’ve purchased on this trip has been a National Parks Pass. This lets me get into national parks, monuments and memorials for free instead of paying for each park individually. This has absolutely paid for itself. Mt. Rushmore, a national memorial, got sneaky though. They don’t charge you to get into the park but they do charge you for parking and you can’t use the pass for this. I was a little annoyed but what was I going to do. I parked my car and stated to walk to toward the mountain I looked up and realized that I couldn’t see anything because it was so foggy. So I went to the Visitor’s Center and the museums they have that tell more about the artist and the process and then went back to check out the mountain. Still nothing. I was determined not to let this be another Stone Mountain or Crater Lake so I put my butt on the wall and just sat there and waited for the fog to move out of my way. And after 2 hours it did.

Crazy Horse

Mt. Rushmore

No One

George Washington

Everyone

All Sorts Of Weather

2005-05-11T20:55:00.000-04:00

Day #115
Tripometer: 14407.7 miles

Today was a nasty day. It did a little bit of everything…it rained, it sleeted, it hailed, and it snowed…all in one day. Since it was so disgusting out I thought it would probably be a good idea to spend some time indoors. First I went to Jewel Cave National Monument. I was more impressed with the size of the cave than I was with the actually cave. Luray Caverns were much more impressive to me. The ranger that led the tour was a bit annoying too.

On the drive to Jewel Cave I had passed the National Woodcarving Museum so I drove back and went in. This was very cool. I’ve always been fascinated by woodworking but this was a whole other level of woodworking.

Jewel Cave

Woodcarvings

Devils Tower

2005-05-10T20:53:00.000-04:00

Day #114
Tripometer: 14321.7 miles

As suggested by a few different people I went to Devils Tower. The history of the area and the importance to the Native American people made the area very interesting. But I was not so impressed with the tower itself. There are a couple of trails that go around the base of the tower and give you some cool views but how long do you need to look at a tower of rock. It was interesting to see the difference effects that weather had of the different sides of the tower but other than that I think it’s more of a spectacular place if you actually rock climb. I don’t do that.

Who Know Wyoming Was Such A Scenic State?

2005-05-09T20:33:00.000-04:00

Day #113
Tripometer: 14180.1 miles

Today I drove through the very large state of Wyoming and it was really beautiful. I had no idea it was going to be such a nice drive. The highlight of the day for me came when I stopped in the town of Kinnear, Wyoming to get gas and a soda. First of all the town of Kinnear is a very small town (see picture below). I pull up to the pump at the Mobile station and see that it’s such an old station that the pumps are not equipped to handle credit cards. I have to go into the convenience store to pay, which is not a big deal because I’m going to get a soda too. I’m so glad I had to go inside because it was here that I learned two wonderful things about Kinnear. First, the gas station and convenience store are owned and run by the town’s mayor. Second, the town’s post office (I was impressed they had a post office) was located inside the gas station convenience store. I love small town life.

Beautiful State

Small Town Life

A Detour That Was Well Worth It

2005-05-08T20:23:00.000-04:00

Day #112
Tripometer: 12792.5 miles

I really wanted to go to Grand Teton Nation Park. Unfortunately, since the road that connects Yellowstone to Grand Teton was closed for the winter I had to take a little detour, a 4 hour drive instead of a 2 hour drive. Oh well, I’ve got time. The Tetons are the youngest of the Rocky Mountains, which means that compared to the rest of the Rocky Mountains they are not very big. However it also means that they are much more jagged because there has not been as much time for erosion to take place. A lot of the trails were closed here too but I did get to do some hiking. One thing I didn’t get to do that I REALLY wanted to do was see a moose. I even asked a ranger when and where I should go to increase my chances of seeing one and I was unsuccessful. Oh well, can’t have everything.

Baby Rockies

Jenny Lake

Sunset

The Grand Canyon Of Yellowstone

2005-05-07T20:14:00.000-04:00

Day #111
Tripometer: 13536.9
Mile #13500: Madison Junction, Yellowstone National Park

Now the canyon at Yellowstone was impressive but I don’t think I would call it the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Anyway, I checked out the canyon and the waterfalls which were very beautiful. Unfortunately almost all of the trails were closed because of all the snow. I still got to see a lot but I had to do more driving than I would have liked.

After the canyon I went to Yellowstone Lake, which, when the season is right is usually full of boats and people fishing. Not today though. The lake is just starting to defrost. It was really awesome looking but no good for fishing.

Canyon

Yellowstone Lake

Geysers...and lots of them

2005-05-06T20:01:00.000-04:00

Day #110
Tripometer: 13364.8 miles

I got to Yellowstone National Park and went to the Visitor’s Center to check out the exhibits they had and to pick up a couple of maps. I checked out the weather for the next couple of days and decided to go check out Old Faithful. Today is supposed to be the sunniest day of the week. So I got back into my car and drove to the geysers. On the way to the geysers I made some new friends (see pictures below). I sat and waited a while (about 40 minutes) for Old Faithful to go off. It was quite an impressive site. If you’re in Yellowstone it’s definitely worth checking out. It is the most predictable geyser in the park but as I found out it is not the most spectacular. After Old Faithful I walked a couple of trails and checked out some other hot spots and geysers. The most spectacular geyser that I saw erupt was Grand Geyser. It is a lot less predictable (I waited about and hour and a half) but when it goes off it’s totally worth the wait.

A Different Kind Of Traffic Jam

Old Faithful

Grand Geyser

Other Geysers

Lots Of Driving

2005-05-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Day #109
Tripometer: 13191.4 miles
Mile #12500: Lake Sammamish, Washington
Mile #13000: Bearmouth, Montana

All I did today was drive to get close to Yellowstone National Park. Not much to report. Sorry.

Ballpark #5

2005-05-04T23:51:00.000-04:00

Day #108

So I got a little taste of real Seattle weather. It rained this morning so I did a more extensive walk inside Park Place Market. I made friends with some of the guys who work at the fish market where they throw the fish around. They clearly have a really good time at work. The entire market is very cool. There are a lot of local artists selling their work.

After the sun came out I walked around Pioneer Square, the oldest part of the city. the architecture was really beautiful. I found this amazing little park hidden in the city. It's a little fenced in area with tall trees along the fence. There might have been half a dozen little tables and a waterfall along the far wall. It was really cool that the city had made the space for such a beautiful place.

I then met up with Ian who had gotten off work a little early so that we could go to the Mariners game. What a very cool ballpark. As soon as you walk in you get this very friendly, very welcoming feeling. You can walk around the entire ballpark and still watch the game. There's also a part of the park where you can stand and watch the players warm up in the bullpen. You can get really close. The whole stadium is very open and fan-friendly.

We went back to Ian's where I had dinner and hung out with Marita while Ian went and played basketball. Ian lost his game but Marita and I had a great time talking.

Fish Throwers

This Is Brian

SafeCo Field

Catching Up With Old Friends

2005-05-03T23:32:00.000-04:00

Day #107
Tripometer: 1247.9 miles

I have been really lucky the past week or so. The weather in the northwest has been remarkable and today was no exception. The first thing I did today was go to the Experience Music Project (EMP) which is an incredible museum that deals with the history of music as well as how music is produced. One exhibit looked at the evolution of the guitar, another exhibit that looked at pop music, one that looked at the importance of Seattle in the music industry, an exhibit on Jimi hendrix and a new exhibit on Bob Dylan. Then there was a part of the museum that took you through the steps of writing and producing a song. Each step of the process was narrated by various music stars. Then of course there was a room where you could play a number of instruments and sing and basically make your own song. I really want to learn how to play the drums. If you're ever in Seattle this is a must see.

After the museum I went and checked out the view of the city from the top of the Space Needle. Wow...it's really high up there. Luckily it was a very clear day and you could see forever.

I then walked around downtown window shopping and getting a feel for the city and the people before meeting up with Ian Grunfeld. We went out for a drink and did a quick walk through Pike Place Market. On the way to my car Ian pointed out a very important landmark...the first ever Starbucks. We then went to Ian's house where I remet his fiance Marita and went out to dinner with some of their friends.

View Of EMP From The Space Needle

The Space Needle

Views From The Space Needle

Off I Go Again

2005-05-02T11:35:00.000-04:00

Day #106
Tripometer: 12466.0 miles
Oil Change #3

After a morning of hanging out and doing errands with Aunt Tana I packed up and had to say goodbye. I didn't really want to leave but I realized that if I didn't I might never get to see the rest of the country. Before leaving the city of Portland I got my car and oil change and a bath and then headed to Seattle. Once in Seattle I found a place to stay for the night, walked around the city, found some food, walked around some more then went to bed.

Laundry

2005-05-01T11:34:00.000-04:00

Day #105

Today was a very relaxing day. Uncle Rog and I watched some basketball and some baseball. Aunt Tana took a nap. We all did some laundry. Wow did I need to do laundry. Then Aunt Tana's brother Roger (confusing...I know) and his wife Linda came over for dinner. They brought over some Oregon made chocolates for me. Yum!!! Thanks again. After dinner we played Quiddler (a great card game that's a little like scrabble) and laughed a lot. Then it was time for bed. People have to go to work tomorrow, glad I'm not one of them.

It's Popping Time

2005-04-30T11:16:00.000-04:00

Day #104

Ouch...Today I woke up much earlier than any other day on my trip so far, and probably early than any day still to come. That's ok. I had a lot of fun. Today we drove to Sandy, Oregon to pop kettle corn at a car show. Most of the cars were old cars but there were a couple of very new and improved cars as well. Most of the cars were very cool. I don't know very much about cars, old or new, but they were still fun to look at. My favorites were the old pick-up trucks. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of any of them. The day started off a little slow so I got to learn a new game. The all of a sudden people started coming and they just kept coming. It was a little crazy at times but not too bad. I guess that's a good thing when you're in business.

Kettle Corn Set-Up

Old Cars

Baby Car

I Don't Know What This Guy Was Thinking

Girls Day Out

2005-04-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

Day #102

Today Aunt Tana and I took off for Mt. Saint Helens. The mountain itself was pretty cool. We could actually see a puff of smoke coming out of the top of it. If you look closely at the picture you can tell the difference between the clouds (which there were a lot of) and the smoke. Again, we had to wait for the clouds to disappear before we got a really good look at the top but we saw what we went to see. We each took a ridiculous amount of pictures because every time we moved or the clouds moved it seemed to make for a better picture. Thank goodness for digital cameras. My favorite part of the day was not the time we spent at the mountain but the drive to and from the mountain when we got to catch up on a lot of things that we miss living 3000 miles apart. We should really do something about that...I'm not sure what though.

Mt. Saint Helens

Mt. Hood

2005-04-26T11:32:00.000-04:00

Day #100!!!

Today Uncle Rog took the day off of work and we went up to Mt. Hood. We took the scenic road up which was really nice. When we got up to the mountain we walked around Timberline Lodge, an absolutely beautiful building. We saw a video about the making of the lodge which was pretty interesting. The building was constructed during the depression and many of the workers were unskilled laborers who learned as they went along. There was some really beautiful wood and iron work. Outside it was a lot nicer than I was expecting, temperaturewise. We waited for a while to see if the clouds would move enough so we could see the tip of the mountain. Patience paid off.

After a while Aunt Tana decided to make snow angels. She's crazy. After snow angels something happened that made me very disappointed in my uncle. My uncle and I had been taking pictures of the beautiful snow angels being made. When my aunt was done she got up (with a snowball in hand) and told my uncle to put the camera down. Now I understand that he probably didn't see the snowball but still. At first he put the camera down on the stone wall seperating us from my aunt. She then told him to but the camera behind the wall. He didn't get it so I took it from him. He was very willing to hand it over. Only as the snow came flying towards him did he get what had just happened. I'm not sure why but I guess I expecting more from him. To his credit he did deflect the snowball.

Me, Aunt Tana and Mt. Hood

Timberline Lodge

Snow Angel

Rejected!

The Secret Ingredients

2005-04-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Day #98

Don't worry mom and dad. I now have a back-up plan. Today I learned the secrets to the family business. Before we went out and about Aunt Tana and Uncle Rog gave me a very detailed demonstration on how to pop kettle corn. It looks like hard work but all those flavors smell and taste so good. What a set-up. I was definitely impressed. After we popped some corn I got an insiders tour of Portland. We went to the University of Portland where my aunt and uncle pop for women's soccer games. We drove through the trendy section of the city and drove around the AAA baseball stadium. Our final stop on the tour was Uncle Rog's job, which my aunt had never seen either. All in all very nice cubicle.

Kettle Corn

Crater Lake...I Think

2005-04-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

Day #97
Tripometer: 12286.6 miles
Mile #12000: Glide, Oregon

I tried to go see Crater Lake, Oregon's only National Park. That plan didn't work out so well. I'm told that the lake is there. I'm not sure I believe though because all I saw was snow, trees and fog. I guess I'll have to come back to check on this supposed lake.

My View Of Crater Lake

After my oh so thrilling visit to Crater Lake I made my way to Portland to visit my Uncle Roger, Anut (I know it's spelled wrong) Tana and her mom Polly. I'm excited to be in one place for a while again and what better place to be.

Creepy

2005-04-22T00:50:00.000-04:00

Day #96
Tripometer: 11864.8 miles

As suggested by my Aunt Tana I went to check out the Oregon Vortex and the House of Mystery. The area's history goes back to the Native Americans who referred to it as The Forbidden Ground. Basically the Oregon Vortex is a whirlpool of force that results in strange visual and perceptual phenomena. It is completely understood why this happens but I swear it does. Things and people seem to change size as they walk in and around the House of Mystery. It was a very cool experience but I was very frustrated that I couldn't figure out why this was happening. Matt, you would love this place.

House Of Mystery

You Would Have To Raise The Far Side Corner Of The House Over 8 Ft In Order To Make It Even With The Near Corner

Crooked House

After visiting the vortex I drove towards Crater Lake and found a place to stay for the night. I ended up in a little town called Prospect. I talked to the man who ran the hotel and was asking him about a place to eat. His response..."Well, we only have 1 place. The cafe. It's good but I should tell you, it's also a trophy room so you might bang your head on a deer." I thanked him for the warning and decided that I didn't have much of a choice. He also suggested that I go to Karaoke Night at the bar next door the cafe. At some point in our conversation I asked him how many people live in Prospect. His response..."Well go see the karaoke and count how many teeth you see. Multiply that by 10 and you'll be close." Interesting little town.

Talk About Beautiful

2005-04-21T00:27:00.000-04:00

Day #95
Tripometer: 11627.3
Mile #11500: Ft. Bragg, California

Before I said goodbye to San Francisco I had to go check out Lombard St, the "crookedest street". I was impressed but mostly confused...who on earth would want to live there.

Relections on San Francisco
- The weather was really great. It was a little windy but not too bad.
- The hills are ridiculous. If there are people who live here who are out of shape, they are crazy.
- I was not all that impressed. The architecture was really great but other than that it just seemed like a more expensive, less exciting version of NYC.

Those are just my thought. Check it out for yourself if you want.

After leaving the city I headed north along the coast. I made a brief stop at Muir Woods and walked around a little. I drove the rest of the way up California on Hywy 1, which is definitely a slow route but totally worth it. The view is incredible. The colors are so bright and pure.

Ballpark #4

2005-04-20T00:05:00.000-04:00

Day #94
Tripometer: 11314.4 miles

Today I took my official ride on a cable car (something I figured I had to do when in San Francisco) which was more fun than I thought it would be. The best part was at the end of the line when I got to see how they turned the cable car around. I then walked to Union Square and listened to some musicians and watched some hippies (old and new) dance. I walked around China Town, got some food and then headed to SBC park to watch the Giants play the Diamondbacks. The ballpark is amazingly beautiful. The views from the park were really something. The game itself was ok but the best part was the woman, Jill, who was sitting next to me. We of course started talking and it turns out that she and her husband were in San Francisco on vacation. They also live in NJ (again...small world). She was asking all sorts of questions about my trip and my plans for when I get home. She was wonderful, a lot of fun. She ended up buying me a hot dog for dinner and a bright orange Giants hat as a souvenir. She made me promise to get in touch with her when I got back to NJ and offered to set me up with her stepson who is also a die-hard Yankee fan. I love meeting new people.

Cable Car

SBC Park

Alcatraz

2005-04-19T23:17:00.000-04:00

Day #93

Today I walked from my hostel to Fisherman's Wharf to get a ticket so that I could check out Alcatraz Island. I had a couple of hours to kill before my boat was scheduled to leave so I walked around Pier 39. There were a lot of stores to check out (most of which I passed on), cable cars passing by, great views of the Golden Gate Bridge, people performing, and sea lions.

Golden Gate Bridge

Sea Lions

Beautiful Boat

Alcatraz itself was so cool. I loved the history and the mystery of the building. I took an audio tour of the prison which was told by a combination of a narrator and past inmates. I was impressed with the inclusion of the imprtance of the island to Native Americans. It was a little bit of an afterthought but I guess most people who come to Alcatraz aren't there to hear about the Native American occupation of the island. They're more interested in Al Capone, the Birdman of Alcatraz and escape attempts.

Alcatraz

A Cell

"The Hole"

Golden Gate Park

2005-04-18T22:56:00.000-04:00

Day #92
Tripometer: 11291.9 miles

The weather in California is fantastic. I love it. I spent the day in Golden Gate Park. First I walked around the Strybing Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and checked out some very beautiful flowers. I've been seeing a few days just looking at flowers, something I didn't think I would like but it's really relaxing and beautiful. Maybe when I get back I'll try to learn more about what I've grown to like so much. I think it might make the experience more fun if I knew what I was looking at.

Pretty Flowers

After the arboretum I went to the Japanese Tea Garden which was really cool. I loved the all landscaping, plants and statues. It was a very comforting and soothing place.

Then, because I won't be able to for much longer I went to the Warriors game. They were playing the Lakers so I thought it would be fun to hear what west coast basketball fans would yell at Kobe Bryant. It was.

Ballpark #3

2005-04-17T22:47:00.000-04:00

Day #91
Tripometer: 11249.7 miles

On my way to spend a few days in San Fransisco I decided to stop and watch an afternoon baseball game in Oakland. It was a great day, weatherwise. The A's are a fun young team to watch. The stadium itself was very nice. I thought it was fun that the bullpens were on the field and a ball boy had to get up everytime a pitcher warmed up so that he could protect them. The guys in Oakland need some help designing their parking lots. It took me almost 2 hours just to get out of the lot. It was ridiculous. Finally I made my way to San Fransisco, found a place to stay and got me some dinner.

McAfee Stadium

Make New Friends

2005-04-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

Day #90

Today I did some serious hiking. I was really impressed with myself. I hiked to the top of the Vernal Falls and then to the top of the Nevada Falls. It was really incredible. It was a sunny day which was good because you get a little wet at some spots but it felt good. The hike took a lot out of me but it was totally worth it. The waterfalls were gorgeous. The plan going into the hike was to make a complete loop so that I wouldn't have to climb down the waterfalls. That plan didn't exactly work out. At some point the rest of the trail was closed because of all the snow so unfortunately I had to climb down. Not a lot of fun. But I took my time and as you can guess I made it down in one piece. I went back to the lodge for dinner and met a guy named Tim from NJ who is also taking some time to see the country after graduating. Small world.

I Hiked All The Way Up There

Must See #8

2005-04-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

Day #89
Tripometer: 11057.6 miles
Mile #11000 Coarsegold, California

Yosemite National Park is beautiful. I got here a little late in the day, found a campsite and went on a hike of Lower Yosemite Falls. What a fantastic day. It was very sunny, mid 70's, and a little breezy. It was the perfect day to go on a hike. I thought about hiking to the top of the falls but it was getting late in the day and I decided that I didn't want to get stuck hiking in the dark. After doing my mini-hike I went to check out the Ansel Adams exhibit that they had in the Visitor's Center. He is/was (sorry, I don't know if he's still alive) really amazing. I then went to the lodge to get me some dinner and watch Yankees/Red Sox highlights (what the hell happened between Sheffield and that fan?) before retreating to my car to car it a night. Tomorrow I do a real hike.

Me At Yosemite

Waterfalls

Yeah Beach!!!

2005-04-14T02:44:00.000-04:00

Day #88
Tripometer: 10966.3 miles

Today was a wonderful day. I woke up late, put on my bathing suit, packed my backpack and drove to Santa Monica to spend the day on the beach. I'm impressed with myself...all I need is some sun, sand, my book and my iPod and I can really kill a day.

Santa Monica Beach

I Don't Get L.A.

2005-04-13T02:40:00.000-04:00

Day #87
Tripometer: 10662.4 miles

So I made it to Los Angeles today, which I have been to once before and was not impressed with. Today I went to the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance which was remarkable. The first part of the museum looked at the use of language and how the words we choose to use or not use promote intolerance. There was then an exhibit that looked specifically at recent incidents of intolerance in the United States. It was incredibly well done. The next part of the museum looked at the Holocaust (the ultimate form of intolerance) but specifically through the propaganda. I have seen a few Holocaust museums and exhibits so it was interesting to me to see and exhibit done in such a unique way. The final, temporary exhibit looked at the importance of learning about your past and you family as a way of learning more about yourself. I was completely fascinated by this exhibit. The most fabulous part of the exhibit was the role that various celebrities played. There were room recreated to look like certain parts of a celebrity’s story. You then got to see the celebrity talk about the importance of their family or talk about the process of researching more about their family. It was really remarkable.

I then went to Dodger Stadium and caught the Dodgers/Giants game. A few things caught my attention at the game. First, there was cheering and even some booing but still, nothing like NY. Second, after the 7th inning the stadium cleared out as if the game was over. Finally, everyone hates the Yankees. A couple of times during the game I could hear some faint “Yankees suck” cheers.

Dodger Stadium

So Many Flowers

2005-04-12T02:27:00.000-04:00

Day #86
Tripometer: 10637 miles

My hope for today was to go check out Legoland. When I went to check out of my motel I saw that there was a flier for Legoland so I picked it up. Lucky for me I did because on the calendar it showed that Legodland is closed on Tuesdays. It’s not like it was going to be a far drive but I definitely would have been disappointed if I had driven there only to find out that I couldn’t go in. So I asked around and decided to go to Flower Fields in Carlsbad, California which is very close to Legoland. What a beautiful place. I have no idea what kinds of flowers I saw (except I know there were roses) but there were rows and rows and rows of gorgeous flowers. It was a beautiful day (the weather in southern California is truly incredible) so I walked around for about an hour looking at flowers before deciding to spend the rest of the day at the beach. I drove for a little, ate lunch, changed into my bathing suit, grabbed my book and towel and hung out on the beach for a few hours. All in all, a very good day.

Lots Of Beautiful Flowers

The Beach

Surfer Dude

San Diego Zoo

2005-04-11T02:31:00.000-04:00

Day #85
Tripometer: 10540.9 miles
Mile #10500: Solana Beach, California

All zoos are great because looking at animals is just a lot of fun, but the San Diego Zoo is one of a kind. I don't think I'll do a great job explaining it but the animals just seem more accessible. They are still in pens but it seemed like you could get really close to them. Second, I got to see baby pandas and baby koalas, which every zoo does not have. But probably the thing I loved most about the San Diego Zoo is that it also has a lot of really great plants all over. The weather was beautiful and I spent the entire day at the zoo and still feel like I missed something.

Baby Panda

Peacock On The Path

Mom And Baby Koala

Elephant

Giraffes

Long Horned Somethings

Polar Bear

Plants

My New Favorite Flower

Opening Day

2005-04-10T02:23:00.000-04:00

Day #84
Tripometer: 10497.2 miles

Today I realized that I was missing baseball in my life. If I were at home I would be have been at the Yankees game but since I'm not at home I decided to check out the San Diego Padres. My Uncle Roger and I have talked about how much fun it would be to drive cross-country going to a baseball game at all of the ballparks. Since I don't think either one of us will be winning the lottery any time soon I figured I'd get started on my own. The stadium itself is very new (I think it was just opened last season). It had some very nice things about it...there is a very large sandbox behind right field for kids to play in as there parents watch the game and there is a park behind center field where people can picnic and play as they watch the game. Overall I wasn't too impressed with the stadium. Maybe it was more the fans that I wasn't impressed with. Everyone was very quiet and relaxed. There was no cheering going on. It made me miss NY.

Petco Park

Old Town San Diego

2005-04-09T02:14:00.000-04:00

Day #83
Tripometer: 10456.2 miles

Today was a hard day. Maybe it was because I’ve got a little bit of a cold or maybe it was because I had to re-adjust to not having company with me. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the road alone. Once I got up and got showered I went to Old Town San Diego and had a wonderful time going on a self-guided walking tour. A lot of the buildings have been restored and are have either been turned into museums or have some literature when you walk in that tells you more about the building and how it was used. A lot of the shops are still used in the same was as they were when the city was first established. For example they still have a tinsmith and a glassblower. There are also a lot of very beautiful plants and flowers growing everywhere.

Flowers

Old Town Buildings

School

Dentist

Printer

Driving Day

2005-04-08T02:13:00.000-04:00

Day #82
Tripometer: 10401.1 miles

Today I got a bit of a slow start. I slept a little late, cleaned out my car and hit the road. I drove to San Diego, found a place to stay and did some much needed laundry. Not too exciting, I know.

Back To Vegas

2005-04-07T02:07:00.000-04:00

Day #81
Tripometer: 10053.1 miles
Mile # 10000: Pharump, Nevada

So not only have I seen the southern most part of the US but now I’ve seen the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. The Badlands in Death Valley are 282 feet below sea level. They were really something to see. The thing I liked most about Death Valley was that there were so many different terrains in one place. It was magnificent. Thank you Madeleine for sharing this with me. I had a wonderful time. On our way back to Vegas we took the scenic route and drove by Red Rock Canyon which had spectacular colors. In Vegas Madeleine and I parted ways temporarily to relax and shower. I then met up with Madeleine and her husband Alan and some of his co-workers for an incredible buffet dinner at the Bellagio. Wow…talk about a lot of good food.

282 Feet Below Sea Level

That Sign Up There Says "Sea Level"

A Billboard We Saw On The Way Back To Vegas

Now That's Heat

2005-04-06T01:48:00.000-04:00

Day #80
Tripometer: 9880.1 miles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM!!!

Madeleine and I went on a couple of really great hikes. On the way to Mosaic Canyon we stopped at the sand dunes and walked around there for a little while. We then went on an amazing hike through Mosaic Canyon. Parts of the hike were pretty intense but it was totally worth it. It was beautiful. All of the rain had essentially polished the rocks so they looked even more incredible. Man was that sun intense. I’ve spent days outside when the weather has been in the 90’s but this was different. After stopping for lunch we decided to go on another hike. We hiked for about another hour and then decided that we had had enough so we decided to go back to where we were staying and spend some time by the pool. On the way back we stopped and learned more about the borax mining that occurred in Death Valley in the 1800’s. Then it was on to the pool.

Sand Dunes

Mosaic Canyon

Must See #7

2005-04-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

Day #79
Tripometer: 9823.7 miles

Wow! What an absolutely magnificent day. I picked up Madeleine (Lesley, Sarah and Matt's mom) and we went to Death Valley, one of her favorite places to visit. Madeleine and Alan just happened to be in Vegas so us girls decided to take a little trip. I'm so glad we did. It took us a little longer than it should have to get to Death Valley but once we got there I was amazed. While all of the rain that California has gotten ruined a lot of the roads it also produced some of the most incredible wildflowers in years.

Wildflowers

Flowering Cactus

UNC Tarheels!!!

2005-04-04T00:21:00.000-04:00

Day #78
Tripometer: 9484.2

Before driving Jen to the airport (sad face) we had breakfast/lunch with her friend Aaron, walked through the Luxor and did some souvenir shopping. After dropping Jen off I got my i-pod and went for a walk until it was time for the NCAA men's championship game. I went back to the sports bar at the Excalibur where I met up with the guys from North Carolina to watch the game. Thankfully UNC won the game and reclaimed it's place atop the college basketball world. Their win helped me gain a free breakfast when I return home (I won an annual March Madness bet with my brother..sorry Matt, maybe next year).

My Vegas Experience Is Now Complete

2005-04-03T00:09:00.000-05:00

Day #77

Today the only thing I was concerned with was making sure we had a good place to watch the first game of the 2005-2006 baseball season. This was particularly important because it was a Yankees/Red Sox game...a game I would have been at if I was not seeing the sights. We decided to watch the game at the sports bar in the Excalibur (the hotel we were staying at). The atmosphere was incredible. There were 3 big screen tv's. On one they were showing the baseball game, on another they were showing an NBA game and on the third they were showing an NCAA women's Final Four game. It was heaven. Jen and I found some Red Sox fans to sit near (actually they were the only ones not smoking). By the end of the 5th inning we had made friends with the group of 8 or Red Sox fans from North Carolina. By the end of the 7th inning I had been proposed to. Apparently Brian found it fascinating that I was not only a die-hard Yankee fan but a fairly knowledgable sports fan. Of course I had to say no to his proposal...I mean he's a Red Sox fan.

Visitor #3.5

2005-04-02T23:56:00.000-05:00

Day #76
Tripometer: 9413.2 miles

Jen and I needed a slow day and today was it. After not getting so much sleep last night (we crashed in my car instead of paying $150+ for a room) we found a hotel room but couldn't check in until 3 so we decided to kill some time playing more blackjack. Not the best idea...I basically gave back everything I had one yesterday. Oh well. We then checked in and took a nap. Jen has a friend from college who lives in Vegas (I know...who knew people lived in Vegas?!) that we met up with and had dinner at the Venetian. Wow. What a beautiful place. As we were sitting there eating dinner I started to count the number of brides that walked passed us. I lost count somewhere around 7. We then walked around Ceasar's Palace and saw a pyrotechnics show about the story of Atlantis. I was more impressed with the fish tanks in the room than with the show itself but it was still pretty cool.

Viva Las Vegas

2005-04-01T02:46:00.000-05:00

Day #75
Tripometer: 9399.8 miles

Jen and I are both huge Elvis signs so of course we were very excited to get to Vegas and see as many fake Elvises as we could. Today we started our journey by going to the Elvis-a-rama museum. The museum itself was VERY small and only mildly interesting but the short Elvis impersonator show that we saw was fabulous. We then drove back to the strip and planned on parking at the Imperial Palace and walking around some more. As we were walking through the casino we saw another Elvis. This one was dealing blackjack, my favorite game to play at a casino so of course we had to play. By the end of our 13 hours of blackjack we had played with Elvis, James Brown, Ricky Martin, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Selina, J-Lo, Stevie Wonder, and Janet Jackson. What a wonderful day.

Me and Elvis

Jen, James Brown and Ricky Martin

Vegas Baby!

2005-03-31T02:14:00.000-05:00

Day #74
Tripometer: 9379.2 miles

There are lots of things to do in Vegas that don't involve gambling...who knew? It helps if you have a car, otherwise you basically stuck to the strip. So Jen and I went on a tour of the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. It was pretty interesting. We got our picture taken and put on a chocolate bar which I thought was a cool souveneir. The factory has a very cool water purification system which Jen was really excited about. I found it interesting but did really understand it all but I'm really glad that Jen was so fasinated by it. There was also a beautiful cactus garden that we walked through. After we were done with high-class chocolate we drove back to the hotel and parked the car so we could walk along the strip and check out M&M World. That's right! You guessed it...an entire store dedicated to M&M's. We even saw the 3D movie "I Lost My M In Vegas"...hey, it was free. The wall of all the available M&M colors was quite impressive. On our way to M&M World I saw Pete Rose kind of hanging out in front of a store so we stopped so that I could get his autograph. Jen thought that I should get him to write something like "Put It All On Red". I thought otherwise. Tonight we saw a tribute to the Rat Pack which we had gotten 1/2 price tickets to. Completely entertaining.

Me and Pete

Visitor #3

2005-03-30T13:36:00.000-05:00

Day #72
Tripometer: 9353.1
Oil change #3

This morning mom and I made a quick stop at K-Mart to buy another bag so that she could bring home everything she bought. On our way to Vegas we drove over the Hoover Dam so we jumped out and took a few pictures. After dropping mom off at the airport I went and found a place to stay for the next couple of days. I did a pretty good job too. I found a Motel 6 one block off the strip for only $50 a night. I then did a couple of errands...oil change, post office run, car wash. Then I went back to the airport to pick up Jen Gilbert who will be rocking out in Vegas with me for a few days. Jen didn't get in until 10 Vegas time (1 EST) so we just walked the strip, making sure to the the fountain at the Bellagio. Wow. That was something. If you're ever in Vegas that is a must see.

Hoover Dam

Fountain At The Bellagio

Must See #6

2005-03-29T13:21:00.000-05:00

Day #72
Tripometer: 9211.8 miles
Mile #9000: Grand Canyon National Park

Today I made mom come with me to the Grand Canyon. She and my dad had seen on about 30 years ago and she wasn't too impressed. I think she was impressed this time. We went to the southern rim (the northern rim was closed because of snow) and had a wonderful time. We hiked along the rim and saw some amazing views. I think next time I'm going to look into taking a donkey ride down the canyon. Tip: If you want to do this you have to make reservations months in advance. The day started off pretty cold but warmed up very quickly. We spent the day hiking and taking pictures. On our drive out we made a couple more stops including our last one to see the sunset. It was so cold and windy that I put my winter coat on. We drove for a bunch of hours until we got close to Vegas where mom will fly out of tomorrow (sad face). I think my mom had a good time (she called my dad and told him that they need to plan a vacation to the southwest). I know I had a good time.

Grand Canyon Pictures

Me and Mom

Colorado River

Sunset

The Beautiful Southwest

2005-03-28T14:46:00.000-05:00

Day # 71
Triopmeter: 8914.5 miles

What a marvelous place the southwest is. Today my mom and I went to the Petrified Forest National Park. It was absolutely gorgeous. The landscape truly looked like it had been painted. The colors were incredible. It was a bit of an overcast day which we found out at the Visitor's Center was actually better. On very sunny days it is sometimes hard to see all of the wonderful colors.

The Painted Desert

After we completed our Painted Desert experience we walked through what my mom described as a Petrified Forest Graveyard. There and paths and stairs winding all over with large pieces of petrified wood along the way. They were pretty amazing.

Petrified Wood

Must See #5

2005-03-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

Day #70
Tripometer: 8655.8
Mile #8500: Chaco Culture National Historic Park Visitor's Center

Wow! What an amazing place. Chaco is full of Native American ruins, some of which have been excavated. Mom and I did a couple of hikes on our own and then went on a tour of the largest site. Our tour guide was really incredible. He did a fantastic job explaining what he knew about the site but also explained how little is actually known. The architecture and determination of the various tribes that used Chaco was amazing to me. The knowledge they had of the earth, math and physics is far greater than I ever thought. One of the things I liked most about Chaco were the petroglyphs. A lot of the images were extremelly clear and very telling. If you're ever in the southwest this is definitely a place to see.

Excavation Sites

Petroglyphs

Spiral Appear Often In Images

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Man On A Horse

320 Days of Sun

2005-03-26T01:25:00.000-05:00

Day #69
Tripometer: 8428.1 miles

Rumor has it that Santa Fe has about 320 days of sun each year. Unfortunately the two days mom and I have spent here are not part of those 320. It has snowed for 2 days. I feel a little bad because this is the weather mom left back east but what can I do? Today we went to a couple more museums. We went to the Museum of International Folk Art, which was really incredible but a little overwhelming. There was just too much to see and the exhibits weren't laid out in any clear fashion. The temporary exhibit on the various ways that different cultures celebrate Carnival (like Mardi Gras) was a lot of fun. Then we went to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture which was very well done. On our way back to the center of Santa Fe to do some shopping we made a wrong turn and a drive that should have take us 10 minutes ended up taking us a little less than an hour. It really wasn't our fault...the signs we totally misleading and not very helpful. When we had spent enough money we hit the road and ended up in Cuba, New Mexico, the town closest to our next destination that actually had a motel.

Santa Fe In The Snow

Santa Fe, NM

2005-03-25T00:44:00.000-05:00

Day #68
Tripometer: 8345 miles

Mom and I spent the day in Santa Fe and had a wonderful time. We took a tour of the govenor's palace (where we learned the New Mexico is the only state that has "USA" on it's license plates so people don't get confused), went to the Museum of Fine Arts, checked out the Native American art being sold in the plaza, and checked out a couple of old churches. The most spectacular to me was Loretto's Chapel. As the story goes the Sisters of Loretto spent months looking for someone to build a way for them to get to the second level of the chapel. After many people tried and failed one man built a spiral staircase. However he disappeared without being thanked or getting paid. The most remarkable thing is that there is no visible source of support. The staircase makes two complete circles and was originally build without a handrail. If you take a step out of the religiousness of the environment you can really enjoy both the chapel and the staircase as works of art.

Inside The Chapel

Original Staircase

Present Staircase

Visitor #2

2005-03-24T00:36:00.000-05:00

Day # 67
Tripometer: 8332.6 miles

I'm so happy! My mom is here for the next week. I'm so excited. I picked her up at the airport this morning and we went to have some lunch. We caught up a little and decided to take the scenic route to Santa Fe. We had a little bit of a scary drive up a mountain to Sandria Crest. There was snow everywhere. The view was incredible. We walked around a little bit...a very little bit because it was cold. We made it to Santa Fe found a hotel, got some dinner and went back to the hotel to plan the next few days of fun.

Sandia Crest

The View

Santa Rosa

2005-03-23T00:26:00.000-05:00

Day #66
Tripometer 8171.0 miles
Mile #8000: Cuervo, New Mexico

Today I drove on historic Route 66. I passed through a lot of cute towns. I drove to Santa Rosa and decided to stop for a little while. I found a nice park with a lake and a great view and walked around the lake, then I got some lunch and drove the rest of the way to Albuquerque (more Bugs Bunny references).

On The Road Again

2005-03-22T18:49:00.000-05:00

Day #65
Tripometer: 7967.1 miles
Mile # 7500: Keene, TX

I hung out a little with Lisa this morning before getting back on the road. My mom is flying into Albuquerque (insert Bugs Bunny reference) on Thursday and that's about a 13 hour drive from Lisa's house. I decided that I wanted to get as close to Albuquerque as I could today and then spend Wednesday checking out the city. Well I made it to a town called Tucumari, New Mexico which is about an hour into New Mexico. The drive through Texas was very long but I did a lot of really good thinking and talking to myself (make all the jokes you want but talking to yourself is really helpful somethimes). I saw my first tumbleweed which was pretty exciting. Other than that the drive was pretty boring, nice but boring.

Manic Monday

2005-03-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

Day #64
Tripometer: 7331.5 miles

Lisa went back to work and the boys went back to school. I slept a litle late, read my book and met up with my cousin Michael who goes to college in Austin. Michael spent the week vollunteering at the South By Southwest festival so he had a lot of really great stories to share. I got back to Lisa's house and we went shopping for the perfect belts for our beautiful buckles. We made a quick stop in the supermarket to buy another birthday cake since we had finished the first one. Once back at the house we played some more mah jongg and then called it a night.

All Around Cowgirl Champion

2005-03-20T18:05:00.000-05:00

Day #63

So as I mentioned a few days ago I have become obsessed with the whole rodeo look. Today we went shopping. Lisa took me to a vintage western clothing store. We went to look at cowboy boots which are really beautiful. By the time we had left the store we were each All Around Cowgirl Champions, Lisa in 1992 and me in 1993...at least that’s what our new beautiful belt buckles say.

Another New Experience

2005-03-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

Day #62

Dan had to go home today (sad face). After bringing Dan to the airport Lisa, Sam, Noah and I went to the Texas Roller Derby. This was an insane experience. We sat on the floor in the front row and watched girls dressed up in ridiculous costumes skate in circles pushing each other over and pretending to get into fights. There was a very loud, very bad concert afterwards. We stayed for maybe a song and then had to get out. We went out to a late lunch/early dinner at a really good burger place. As we were eating it began to rain, actually it began to pour. We ran for the car and got quite wet in a very short time. And then the rain just stopped and we saw the most incredible, most complete rainbow I have ever seen. The colors were so bright and clear. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it or you would see it below. It was amazing. When we got back to the house we played more mah jongg. Yeah for mah jongg.

I Missed Mah Jongg

2005-03-18T17:59:00.000-05:00

Day # 61

Today was a very relaxed day. Lisa and I went out for a little while Dan and the boys stayed home showing each other various humorous websites such as potterpuppetpals.com and homestarrunner.com. Everyone had a good time. Since we are all still recovering from out Billy Idol night we decided to stay home and play mah jongg. What a wonderful game. I recommend that if you don't know how to play (which I'm sure is most if not all of you) you should learn. Since Dan and I haven’t played since the summer we were very excited by the evening’s plan.

Rodeo Austin

2005-03-17T23:13:00.000-05:00

Day #60

This morning we all got some much needed sleep, had cake for breakfast and decided to pass on South By Southwest and go to the rodeo instead. We had read the program for the rodeo/state fair and couldn't wait to get there. We hoped to see diving pigs but when we asked someone where they were we were told that there was an incident and that the pigs would not be performing any more today. We were all a little disappointed but were more concerned for the pigs. We walked around some, went to the petting zoo where we fed a yak, checked out the livestock and then saw Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey perform (see picture below). We spent the day eating food that was either fried (twinkies, oreos, etc.) or on a stick (pizza). Sam and Noah had a blast on the rides while Dan, Lisa and I talked. Then it was time for the rodeo. It was an incredible experience. I quickly became obsessed with the whole thing; the clothing, the events, everything. If you ever get a chance to go to a rodeo I highly recommend it. It will be like nothing else you've ever experienced.

Me, Sam (right) and Noah (left)

Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey

Dan, Sam, Lisa and Noah in Jail

South By Southwest

2005-03-16T23:42:00.000-05:00

Day #59

Today we had a fun time exploring Austin. Sam, Noah and Lisa showed us some of their favorite places in Austin. We went to Toy Joy, Buffalo Exchange and Waterloo Records. Tonight we went to Stubbs to see Billy Idol. We got there around 8 and saw 3 other bands ( FYI...The Sights are really good!) before Billy came on. We had an amazing time. Billy Idol was so great. He's such a Ken doll. Everything about him is plastic but the essence of Billy was still there. We all had an incredible time and were all extremelly tired by the time we got back to Lisa's but it was totally worth it.

Austin, TX

2005-03-15T00:25:00.000-05:00

Day #58
Tripometer: 7305.2 miles

Today I made it to Austin where I will spend the next few days with Lisa and her two boys Sam and Noah. When I got to Lisa's we had a few hours to catch up before we had to go to the airport to pick up Dan Grunfeld who will also be spending a couple of days in Austin going to the South By Southwest music festival. It was so great to catch up with Lisa. I love email because it makes it really easy to keep in touch with people but getting to actually talk with someone is so much better. We went to the airport to pick Dan up and got to do some really wonderful people watching. After finding Dan we went back to Lisa's house and did some more catching up before calling it a night.

More Strange Things To See

2005-03-14T00:10:00.000-05:00

Day #57
Tripometer: 7144.8 miles
Mile #7000: Houston, TX

Today I left my aunt and uncle's house and drove through Houston where I found The Beer Can House (see pictures below). I know I won't be able to describe it well enough so I won't even try. After checking this out I got back in my car and I was going to drive to NASA but along the way I decided that I wasn't up for it so I spent the day in Kemah. It was a really nice day so I spent the afternoon walking around on the boardwalk. There were a lot of fun stores to do some window-shopping, good restaurants, games and some small rides. When it got late I found a place to sleep and called it a day.

Beer Can House and Interesting Car

Lazy Day

2005-03-13T23:51:00.000-05:00

Day #56

Today we just hung around the house. Aunt Sandy and Uncle Steve got ready to go back to work, Kate got ready to go back to school and I got ready to hit the road again. I did some much needed laundry, read my book and just relaxed. I realized that it was something that I miss while on my trip. I don't have a place to just lay on the couch and read or take a nap. It was also great to just sit and talk. It was definitely a good day.

Arboretum

2005-03-12T23:44:00.000-05:00

Day #55

This morning I went to see Kate ride horses. It was pretty cool. The best part about it was that there was this horse range within a city. It was a really great hideaway. After lunch Aunt Sandy, Uncle Steve and I went to the arboretum (Kate decided to take a pass on this trip). It was a good afternoon. We saw some flowers, although a lot of them were not in bloom yet. We also walked a couple of trails in the woods. My favorite spot was a bamboo hut overlooking a pond. It was really calm and quiet. I could have sat there for hours.

Kate On Her Horse

I Helped To Corrupt My Aunt

2005-03-11T23:37:00.000-05:00

Day #54

Today Kate, Aunt Sandy and I decided to go to the movies. Kate and I wanted to see Robots and Aunt Sandy and I wanted to go see Million Dollar Baby so we decided to go see both. First we saw Robots which was very entertaining. It's definitely worth seeing but you can probably wait until it comes out on video and just rent it. After Robots we simply walked across the theater and saw Million Dollar Baby (we had checked the movie times and planned on seeing both in one day but don't tell anyone that we didn't pay for the second movie). Aunt Sandy claims that this was the first time she had snuck into a movie. If this is true I'm glad I could be there for it. Million Dollar Baby is a very powerful movie. I won't discuss my feelings on the ending just in case some of you haven't seen it but it is very shocking and emotional. Nonetheless...I think it's a must-see movie. The acting is realy incredible. After the movies we went out to dinner considering all we had eaten was popcorn. Not that popcorn is bad but it's just not filling enough.

Galveston

2005-03-10T19:18:00.000-05:00

Day #53

Today Kate and some of her friends wanted to go to the beach. I was a little surprised that the beach was a possibility in March but whatever, I knew I wasn't going to go swimming. Aunt Sandy, Kate, her friends and I went to Galveston which is an island about an hour east of Houston. We walked around, got ice cream, and did some window shopping before going to the beach. Aunt Sandy and I hung out on a blanket while Kate and her friends sat in the water, made a sand castle and went for a walk. It was a little windy but still and very nice day. I made sure to at least put my feet in the Gulf of Mexico just so I could say I did it.

From Dallas to Houston

2005-03-09T19:00:00.000-05:00

Day # 52
Tripometer: 6979.0 miles

Today I slept a little later than usual. I then cleaned out my car and headed to Houston to spend a few days with my Aunt Sandy, Uncle Steve and cousin Kate who has the week off from school. Yeah Spring Break! Nothing else to report on for today.

Fair Park

2005-03-08T11:59:00.000-05:00

Day #51
Tripometer: 6727.6 miles

Today I went to go check out a part of Dallas known as Fair Park. There are a lot of museums, a small botanical garden and a very large ferris wheel. I walked around the park for a while before going to the Women's Museum which was absolutely incredible. It looked at different roles women have in different cultures and how these roles have or haven't changed over time. One exhibit looked at how women have been portrayed in the media in the US and the effect these images have on girls and young woman. It was really well done. If you for some reason find yourself in Dallas this museum is absolutely worth seeing. The weather was beautiful so walking around the park and through the gardens was really nice.

Women's Museum

Very Big Ferris Wheel

One Of Many Large Statues Found In The Park

Pond In The Park

What's So Exciting About Dallas....

2005-03-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

Day #50
Tripometer: 6687.2 miles

There's nothing exciting about Dallas. If you have the option...don't go to Dallas. I thought it might be a cool city to see. It was ok but nothing to write home about. Anyway, as you might imagine there is JFK stuff everywhere you turn. I figured I had to see something so I went to the 6th Floor Museum. It was pretty well done. After I walked out of the museum some guy on the street tried to sell me a JFK memorial magazine and then told me about the Conspiracy Museum. I was a little disappointed that I didn't know about that museum first. It would have been much more fun than the 6th Floor Museum but at this point I had had enbough of JFK. So I walked around downtown Dallas. It was nice enough. Then I went to a Dallas Mavericks game which was a lot of fun. Most of the stars were injured but it was a lot of fun to see guys play all out, which doesn't always happen. Today wasn't a bad day, but it certainly wasn't that exciting. I guess they can't all be. There's always tomorrow.

Driving Day

2005-03-06T00:24:00.000-05:00

Day #49
Tripometer: 6659.8 miles
Mile #6500: Kilgore, TX

Today I did nothing but drive to Dallas. It wasn't that exciting but it had to be done. One thing I did notice on my drive through the state of Louisiana was that there are little casinos at every rest stop. Now I'm sure they were not full casinos. I'm sure they only had dinky slot machines or something but still. It's a little crazy but I guess people like to gamble.

The Garden District

2005-03-05T12:17:00.000-05:00

Day #48
Tripometer: 6155.2 miles
Oil Change #2

HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY RACHEL BIRCH!!!

Today I went on a tour of the Garden District. This is also and old part of the city but it is more American than French or Spanish. I saw some very incredible houses and learned that a lot of famous people have lived there at some point in their life (Cokie Roberts (politics), The Mannings (football) and someone from Nine Inch Nails (music). The tour guide was a wacko. He has lived in New Orleans his entire life and was once a police officer so he had some very funny stories to tell in between telling us about the architecture.

Pretty Houses

The Mannings' House

Must See Stop #4

2005-03-04T11:57:00.000-05:00

Day #47
Tripometer: 6139.8 miles

I love New Orleans! It is an absolutely gorgeous city. I walked around the French Quarter (the oldest part of the city) today. The architecture here is incredible. I took a Voodoo/Cemetery tour of the French Quarter which was really interesting. New Orleans is known as the City of the Dead so as you can imagine this was a pretty incredible tour. I knew a little about the history of the city but it was great to have some of the missing pieces filled in. It was also really cool to learn more about the religion of Voodoo. At the end of the tour we were able to visit a Voodoo temple and talk minister (who was a woman...what do you call a female minister, anyone know?). The other thing that I absolutely loved about New Orleans is that there is always something going on. You walk down the street and see anything and everything. Below are some pictures of street entertainers.

I made it to my second NBA game of the trip. New Orleans has an awful team so it wasn't too hard to get a ticket. The game itself was pretty exciting...the Hornets actually won the game. But what interested me was the pregame. Before singing the national anthem they had a local priest say a prayer at half-court. I thought we had this whole seperation of church and state thing. I guess it doesn't apply in New Orleans. After the game I was surprised at how polite everyone was. In NY and NJ after a game lets out there is a mad rush for the escalators. Not in NO. Everyone just lined up and waited. It was really funny. I couldn't operate that way and got some funny looks as I walked around this line and made my way to the escalator very quickly. Oh well...it's not like I'll see any of those people ever again.

Beautiful Architecture

Offerings At A Gravesite

Leftover Mardi Gras

Street Entertainers

Aquarium of the Americas

2005-03-03T11:35:00.000-05:00

Day #46
Tripometer: 6124.9 miles

If you ever find yourself in New Orleans, which by the way everyone should, you must go to the aquarium. It is a magnificent place. You walk in and you see gigantic fish. There is an arch that you walk under and it's like you're walking in the ocean. There are fish everywhere. They have a rain forest exhibit which was pretty interesting and a really awesome jellyfish exhibit. But by far the craziest thing I say is pictured below. Apparently it's someone's job to clean the inside of the shark tank. Are you kidding me?!? It's a 3 person job. One person cleans the tank as the other two use these sticks to keep the sharks away. I couldn't figure out what it was about the sticks that prevented the sharks from biting. I mean why didn't they the sticks bother them. I guess it doesn't matter that I don't get it as long as the workers get it.

Who Wants This Job?

I Found Nemo

Jellyfish

And Then There's Mississippi

2005-03-02T11:06:00.000-05:00

After my wonderful trip to Graceland I hit the road and headed towards New Orleans, Lousiana. If you check out a map you will notice that I had to drive through the entire state of Mississippi. No big deal. Well the drive was going fine until I got pulled over. I was driving 82 in a 70. I was in the right lane of a 2 lane highway and people were passing me on the left. But me with my out-of-state northern lisence plates, I get pulled over. The cop walked up to the car and said "Let me see you lisence ma'am." So I give him my lisence, full knowing that I'm going to get a ticket. He says "Ms. Dabney I clocked you going 82. That's why I pulled you over." So I said to him "I'm sorry officer. I didn't realize I was going that fast. I just really have to pee." It was true and I thought it might loosen the tension. It didn't work. His response "I'll be right back." And back he came with a $123 ticket for me. I thanked him and moved on. The worst part about the whole situation was that while I was in Delaware Jen and I had basically predicted it was going to happen. Oh well. Hopefully there will be no more tickets on this trip.

Must See Stop #3...Well...For Some

2005-03-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

Day # 45
Tripometer: 6101.3 miles
Mile #6000 Chatawa, Mississippi

Graceland rocks!!! If you are at all a fan of music and rock 'n' roll this is a must see. I've always been a fan of Elvis' music but today I got the opportunity to appreciate his interior decorating abilities. His house was full of color. Just check out some of the pictures.

The King's House

The Living Room

The Basement

The Pool Room

The Den

Throughout the house there were displays of Elvis' many gold records and other achievements. Plus I got to see his wonderful jumpsuits. After walking through the garden area you get to Elvis' gravesite, which is a little overwhelming. There are flowers, wreaths, candles and notes everywhere. I then went and checked out the car museum and Elvis' plane, the Lisa Marie.

The Pink Cadillac

Who Plays Basketball On A Tuesday Afternoon?

2005-03-01T09:47:00.001-05:00

Day #44
Tripometer: 5698.1 miles

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!!!

As luck would have it the Memphis Grizzlies (professional basketball team) had a home game today. The strange thing was that it was a 1:00 game. I've never heard of an afternoon game in the middle of the week but whatever. I walked up to the stadium to get my ticket and there were 20-30 school buses there. It was crazy. Every elementry school in the greater Memphis area must have attended this game. I found out later that the game was the culmination of a Read to Achieve month. The game was pretty good; Memphis won as newly acquired Warrior Baron Davis missed a 3 at the buzzer.

For dinner I went to the Rum Boogie Cafe (thanks for the recommendation Jen). The food was great. They had live music and their motto was..."Eat. Drink. Boogie. Repeat."

Amazing History

2005-02-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Day #43
Tripometer: 5698.1 miles

Today I went into downtown Memphis to check out the National Civil Rights Museum. What an incredible experience. The museum is housed in the Lorraine Hotel which is where Martin Luther King Jr. was assisinated. The first part of the museum was a photo gallery of many different fights for civil rights. The dealt with freedom of speech issues, the women's liberation movement, the struggle of Native Americans to get recognition and Cesar Chavez and the fight of the farm workers. It's always amazing to me just how powerful photography is. The other amazing part of this exhibit was how the museum made a real effort to emphasize the importance of young people in such movements.

The rest of the museum was dedicated to the African American struggle for equal rights, more specifically to Martin Luther King Jr. There were a lot of photographs and personal accounts of the time. There were also many unique exhibits. You could walk through a classroom for black children and the a classroom for white children. You could sit at a lunch counter as a black person and hear the profanity that was often shouted and watch a video of some of the other abuse they encountered. It was really incredible. At some point and without completely realizing it I found myself standing in the hallway outside of the room the Martin Luther King Jr. stayed in before he was shot. You can look out at balcony and see the exact spot where he lay. It was very powerful.

After this I decided that I needed to do something a bit more upbeat so I went and toured the Sun Studios. This, at some point in their careers, was the recording studio for Elvis, Carl Perkins, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis among many others. It was a lot of fun. Everything in the studio is original from the instruments to the sound proof ceiling. The tour guide, who wanted to be called El Dorado was a
trip.

The National Civil Rights Museum

A Tribute To A Great Man

El Dorado

What Not To Do In Birmingham, AL

2005-02-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

Day #42
Tripometer: 5648.8 Miles

Today I spent the morning in Birmingham. I woke up this morning and went to find someplace to eat breakfast. Well, today was Sunday, something I had not realized until it was impossible to find a restaurant, ANY restaurant that was open on Sunday morning. Actually I was the only person walking around most of the morning. It was not until after 12. Apparently I was supposed to be in church like everyone else. When I finally found an open restaurant there was no breakfast food for me, only lunch being that it was 12:30.

Selma, Alabama

2005-02-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

Day #41
Tripometer: 5406.2 miles
Mile #5000, Tyler, AL

Today I went to Selma, Alabama. I went to the National Voting Rights Museum which did a fantastic job of telling the story of how African-Americans won the right to vote. There were many personal accounts of "Bloody Sunday" and the march to Montgomery. The people working there were great to talk to. As I drove through more of Alabama I was amazed with all of the history. It really is an incredible state. It is definitely more run-down than the north and things absolutely move slower but it has a lot of character. There were kids everywhere riding bikes and playing. In general I've found that people here are really great to talk to and extremely helpful. It's definitely a different world here but I'm enjoying my visit.

Spring Training

2005-02-25T09:56:00.000-05:00

Day #40
Tripometer: 4955.9

Today was almost an incredible day. I went to Legend's Field (The Yankees' sping training site) to watch them practice. I couldn't believe how close I got to all of the players. I mean I couldn't reach out and touch them but I definitely got a lot of great pictures. There were a lot of young kids there with their parents and a lot of big time Yankee fans. It was a great scene. Everyone there was trying to get their favorite player's autograph. While many of the players did not sign they all interacted with the crowd in some one.

A Scenario to Ponder...Before practice officially started Derek Jeter came out of the dugout and sort of worked his way down the fence signing autographs. I was in perfect position to obtain one of these autographs. I was down the fence a ways but could tell that he would get to about where I was standing before he had to go stretch. Now as I'm sure most of you know I am a huge Yankees fan and a very big Derek Jeter fan so getting this autograph would have been awesome. Derek is about 10 feet away when this little girl about 12 years old kind of pushes her way in front of me. I look at her and say very nicely "There's no reason to push. He's going to try to sign as many autographs as he can." Wouldn't you know it...she got her baseball signed then it was time for practice. Unfortunately my baseball remained unsigned. I thought briefly about taking her baseball because if it wasn't for her I would have gotten mine signed but then I thought about how ridiculous I would look taking a baseball from a little girl and let her go. What do you think...did I do the right thing?

Derek Jeter

Bubba...What A Great Name

Giambi Making Up To The Fans

Tino

St. Petersburg

2005-02-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Day #39
Tripometer: 4602.7

Today I dropped Shawn off at the Tampa Airport and then drove to St. Petersburg to check out some museums there. First I went to the Florida Holocaust Museum which was really increadible. Then I went to the Salvador Dali Museum which was a lot of fun. When I was there they were giving a tour to future volunteers so I got a sort of behind the scenes tour as I was looking at the exhibits. His work is so amazing and should be checked out by anyone in St. Petersburg.

What I Almost Did

2005-02-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

Day # 38
Tripometer: 4602.7

This morning Shawn and I decided to go parasailing. Below is a picture of the parasail. We went out to breakfast and then went down to the peir and bought out tickets. You had the option of going up 600', 800' or 1000'. I decided if I was going to do this I had to do it all out so we spent the extra $10 and decided to go for 1000'. We got on the boat with about 8 other people. We were the 3rd pair to go. The first two was a pair of teenage girls. They went up to 800' and they were really high. The second group was a mother and her 2 kids (apparently you can go in groups of 3). They put their life jackets and harnesses on and were about to get hooked up to the parasail when all of a sudden fog came rolling in. Unfortunately, this meant that we couldn't go parasailing. Something about it not being safe if they can't see you. We thought about waiting it out but decided to go to the zoo instead.

Wouldn't This Have Been Perfect?

Zoo Animals

Shawn Hanging Out With A Bat

Elephants Playing Tag

It's True...He was

Mom and Baby Spending Quality Time Together

Treasure Island

2005-02-22T09:40:00.000-05:00

Day # 37
Tripometer: 4519.5
Mile #4500, Ellenton, FL

We made it the rest of the way to Tampa and stopped at the visitor center to get some info. The guy there directed us to the beaches which were really nice. They would have been a lot nicer if it wasn't so overcast but that's ok. We found a cute little motel to stay at for the next couple of nights. It was run by an old man who has obviously been running the place for many, many years. He did everything by hand so as you can imagine it took us a while to check in. We walked around checking out the island before going out for dinner and drinks.

Key West

2005-02-21T20:16:00.000-05:00

Day #36
Tripometer: 4440.6 miles

Today Shawn and I explored more of Key West. It was a beautiful day, 80 and sunny (sorry to those of you up north who keep getting more snow). We went on a tour of Hemmingway's house which was really incredible. I learned a lot of interesting things about him and saw a magnificent house. Apparently Hemmingway loved cats (he had between 50 and 60 of them as pets at any one time). Someone had given him a 6-toed cat as a pet. Today there are 51 cats living at the house, 26 of them are also 6-toed. It was a good tour. I definitely recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in Key West. We then went to have lunch at one of Hemmingway's favorite bars, Sloppy Joe's before walking to the southern most point in the continental US. We then got back in the car and headed towards Tampa.

Me and Shawn In Front of Hemmingway's House

One Of Many 6-Toed Cats At Hemmingway's House Drinking Water

It's Easy To See Why People Swim For It...It Seems So Close

My First Visitor

2005-02-20T20:11:00.000-05:00

Day #35
Tripometer 4001.7
Mile #4000 Key West, FL

Today I picked Shawn up at the Ft. Lauderdale airport and we headed to the Florida Keys. We stopped about half-way through at Bahia Honda State Park. I don't remember which key it was on but it was really nice. The beaches were beautiful and we walked around for a little bit. We got back in the car and drove the rest of the way to Key West. One fun little characteristic of Key West is that there are wild chickens running around everywhere. We saw and heard lots of them. Shawn and I went out to dinner and walked around the town for a while. There were some really beautiful houses. Below is a picture of my favorite. One of the most spectacular things I've seen so far on this trip was a tree. I know it sounds weird but just look at the picture. The tree it just crazy looking. It looks like one of the branches has grown downward and become a root.

House on Key West

Chickens Running Wild

A Really Cool Looking Tree...Anyone Know What It Is?

What A Day

2005-02-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

Day #34
Tripometer: 3733.8 miles

In one of my AAA books I read about a museum called the Sports Immortals Gallery and it sounded like a place I would want to visit so I did. I walked in and there were 2 men (one in his late 30's and one in his 50's) there who run the place. Joel has the largest collection of sports memorabilia in the world. I talked to the younger one (John), paid my $5 and went upstairs to the museum which was fairly small and is still under some construction. They are in the process of constructing what they are going to call The International Sports Complex. It will be a large museum with various exhibits (some interactive) and highlights. After I had spent some time looking around I went back downstairs which had memorabilia for sale. John came over and we talked some more. He asked me about what sports I was interested in and where I lived. After telling him that I was from NJ and was only visiting he said "Oh, that's too bad. Joel and I were talking while you were upstairs and he was intrigued by you and told me to offer you a job helping us get our whole complex underway." With that Joel walks over and asks "So you taking the job or what?" I re-explained that I was from NJ and was taking a few months to see the country. Joel's response, "Well be sure to give John your contact information because we're thinking about expanding to Chicago, Las Vegas and NY." Of course before I left I gave John my email address and he gave me a couple of free t-shirts.

After this amazing morning I went to Butterfly World, which is similar to Parrot Jungle Island, except with butterflies. Basically there are large netted-in areas and there are butterflies everywhere, many of which will land on you if you are still enough. I was amazed at how friendly they were. Unfortunately I did not get a picture of any of the butterflies that landed on me. It's a little difficult to take a picture of yourself and the few times I asked someone to take a picture for me the butterfly would fly away. Oh well.

Butterfly World

Parrot Jungle Island

2005-02-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

Day #33
Tripometer: 3551.3 miles
Mile #3500 Florida City, FL

After spending the morning in the Everglades I drove to Miami Beach and went to Parrot Jungle Island. It is a fantastic zoo that primarily houses parrots (as the name suggests). As soon as you walk in there are dozens of parrots walking around or sitting on perches. You are able to pet them, take pictures with them, and talk to some of them. It is definitely a place I would return to with kids. The zoo had other animals too but the parrots were the main attraction.

Parrot Jungle Island

Kissing Parrots

Must See Stop #2

2005-02-17T22:37:00.000-05:00

Day # 32
Tripometer: 3421.4 miles

The Everglades National Park is an absolutely beautiful place, a place that you should definitely go see if you ever get the opportunity. I spent most of the day walking around, going on a few hikes. In the afternoon I went on a 2-hour boat tour, which was quite informative. I saw some interesting plants and a lot of birds but no alligators or crocodiles. (Did you know that the Everglades is the only place where you can find both alligators and crocodiles?) After the boat tour I drove until I came to a bay where I sat for a while until the sun began to set. And then I made a new friend (see the picture below). When I got to this bay there were two older men there taking pictures. I started to walk closer to the water when one of the men walked towards me and told me that I didn't want to get too close because there was an alligator at the edge. After a little while a park ranger came by looking for a pick-up truck from Wyoming. Apparently some people had been feeding the alligator which is why it was hanging out so close to waters edge. Because she was there I decided that it would be ok to walk a little closer. Luckily after I took the picture the alligator decided to go back in the water and go for a little swim.

Me On My Boat Tour

Sunset in The Everglades

A New Friend

Florida At Last

2005-02-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

Day #31
Tripometer: 3329.7 miles
Oil Change #1

So I've finally made it to Florida and the weather is absolutely wonderful. Today I went to the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum in Winter Park Florida. This museum contains Tiffany stain glass pieces. They were gorgeous. The detail that he was able to achieve with glass is simply amazing.

After spending a few hours in the museum I drove until I found a park by the water where I stopped, had lunch, read the local paper and went for a walk. All in all it was a good day...Until it came time to find a place to sleep for the evening. I decided to drive until I got close to Daytona Beach where I hoped I would spend the day tomorrow. Well...Someone forgot to tell me that the Daytona 500 is this weekend so there were no hotels, motels, inns or anything like that for at least 45 minutes. So I drove about an hour south and rearranged what I hoped to do tomorrow. I love flexibility.

Jekyll Island, Georgia

2005-02-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

Day #30
Tripometer: 2979.5 Miles

Thank you Shanie and Mary for this suggestion. I went to Jekyll Island today and had a wonderful time. I woke up this morning and it was absolutely beautiful out. Unfortunately as I crossed the bridge onto Jekyll Island it became windy and overcast. Luckily I still had a great time. I took a trolley tour of the historic part of the island and learned a lot about the people who formed the Jekyll Island Club and developed the island into a winter resort. After lunch the sun came back out and I spend the afternoon walking on the beach. What a wonderful day.

Jekyll Island

The First Must See Of My Trip

2005-02-14T21:21:00.000-05:00

Day #29
Tripometer: 2722.7 miles

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

So I finally left Atlanta after a little more than a week and made it to Savannah, Georgia. This is an absolute must see for everone. It was a wonderful city with a lot of character. The parks and historic street were magnificent. I had dinner at a bar and grilled called Spanky's. It was right on the water and had a really great crowd. After dinner I walked along the water which was really amazing. At one point I looked up and there was a gigantic boat in front of me. It was very scary. After a couple of minutes I noticed that there was a group of people gathering behind me. I walked over and started listening to a woman who was standing in front of the group. All of a sudden there was a loud scream and a woman dressed in a witch's costume jumped out from behind a bench. Apparently the group was on a ghosts and graveyards tour of Savannah. I joined them and listened to the witch tell stories. I even tried to sneak on the trolley but the witch told me I couldn't because I didn't have a ticket. Oh well.

A Park in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah at Night

Stone Mountain, Georgia

2005-02-09T21:07:00.000-05:00

Day #24

Today Barry, Charlotte and I went to Stone Mountain, which was supposed to really beautiful. Unfortunately after a days of beautiful weather today was very overcast. While we made it to the top of the mountain we didn't get to see much else. It was so foggy that we could barely see 5 feet in front of us. I hear that you can see the city of Atlanta from the top of the mountain. On the side of the mountain there is a carving of 3 confederate generals (unfortunately I can't remember which ones they are right now but when I do I'll update this entry). Luckily by the end of the day the fog had lifted enough that I was able to get a picture of this carving.

Barry and Charlotte on top of Stone Mountain

The Carving on the Side of Stone Mountain